NOAA Ecological Forecasting
Protecting Human Health and Coastal Economies with Early Warnings
2016 Forecasts: Dead Zones, Harmful Algal Blooms, Coral Bleaching
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NOAA and partners cancel Gulf Dead Zone summer cruise (July 2016)
NOAA and its partners have cancelled the official measurement survey cruise of the annual dead zone that forms off the coast of Louisiana and Texas. NOAA,which oversees the official annual measurement of the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico cited mechanical problems with the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, which was scheduled to host the measurement cruise.
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NOAA, partners predict smaller harmful algal bloom for western Lake Erie (July 2016)
NOAA and its research partners predict that western Lake Erie will experience a less severe bloom than the record-setting one experienced last year during the harmful algal bloom season. The outlook reflects less discharge from the Maumee River and a return to an average nutrient runoff into the lake.
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U.S. coral reefs facing warming waters, increased bleaching (June 2016)
Many coral reefs across around the world will likely be exposed to higher-than-normal sea temperatures for an unprecedented third year in a row, leading to increased bleaching—and with no signs of stopping.
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Chesapeake Bay 'dead zone' to be average to slightly smaller (June 2016)
Scientists expect that this year's mid-summer Chesapeake Bay hypoxic low-oxygen zone or "dead zone" – an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and aquatic life – will be approximately 1.58 cubic miles, about the volume of 2.3 million Olympic-size swimming pools. This is close to the long-term average as measured since 1950.
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Average 'dead zone' for Gulf of Mexico predicted (June 2016)
Scientists forecast that this year's Gulf of Mexico dead zone – an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and marine life – will be approximately 5,898 square miles or about the size of Connecticut, the same range as it has averaged over the last several years.
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Annual Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Projections Available (June 2016)
The experimental early season harmful algal bloom projection for Lake Erie started last month. This projection gives the range of severity of the cyanobacteria bloom that is likely to occur in Lake Erie in the summer.
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Gulf of Maine: Red Tide Bloom Smaller than Past 11 Years (April 2016)
This summer the Gulf of Maine red tide is predicted to be the smallest observed over the last eleven years.
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Monitoring Florida Red Tide (March 2016)
NOAA and agency partners continue to monitor a bloom of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism that has been persisting in some coastal areas in Southwest Florida.
Ecoforecasting Hotspots
Select a location on the map to view an overview of ecological forecasting "hotspots" around the nation.
National Ocean Service | NOAA | Department of Commerce
Revised: August 15, 2016 | You are here: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/ecoforecasting/welcome.html